IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,908,941
Granted Patent B2
US 7,908,941 · App. 10/866,811 · Granted Mar 22, 2011

Heated and cooled steering wheel

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,908,941
App. No.
10/866,811
Granted
Mar 22, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A steering wheel has a ring portion, spoke portions and a hub portion. The steering wheel is provided with a thermoelectric reversible heat pump to heat or cool a fluid. A closed hydraulic circuit includes a hydraulic pump and at least one duct extending along the ring portion of the steering wheel. The fluid is heated or cooled by the thermoelectric heat pump and is circulated by the hydraulic pump within the ring portion of the steering wheel to heat or cool the ring portion.

Claims (11)

1. A heated and cooled steering wheel comprising a ring portion, at least one spoke portion, a hub portion, a reversible heat pump, and a closed hydraulic circuit including a hydraulic pump to circulate a fluid in said circuit and at least one duct extending along at least part of said ring portion, said duct being a multi-channel duct comprising a plurality of separate parallel channels separated by separation walls and a plurality of insulating channels interposed between said plurality of separate channels and a core portion of said ring portion.

2. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein said heat pump comprises at least two thermoelectric modules.

3. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 2 wherein said thermoelectric modules are spaced and symmetrically arranged to define a heat exchanging area for an internal heat exchanging device.

4. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 3 wherein said thermoelectric modules are Peltier devices coupled in a heat conductive manner to said internal heat exchanging device and to an external heat sink.

5. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 2 wherein each of said separate parallel channels has a rectangular cross section.

6. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 3 wherein each of said separate parallel channels has a rectangular cross section.

7. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 4 wherein each of said separate parallel channels has a rectangular cross section.

8. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 3 further comprising a first junction duct connecting an outlet of said heat exchanging device to said multi-channel duct, and a second junction duct connecting said multi-channel duct to an inlet of said heat exchanging device, said second junction duct communicating with said hydraulic pump.

9. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 3 wherein said thermoelectric modules comprise a Peltier device coupled in a heat conducting manner to said internal heat exchanging device and to an external heat sink.

10. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein each of said separate parallel channels has a rectangular cross section.

11. A heated and cooled steering wheel according to claim 1 wherein the fluid is a mixture of water and glycol.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2021
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS SECURITY AGENT FOR THE SECURED PARTIES
To: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057775/0771 →
RELEASE OF INTEREST IN PATENTS- RELEASE OF REEL/FRAME 033673/0524 Recorded Apr 12, 2018
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.; KSS HOLDINGS, INC.; KSS ACQUISITION COMPANY; BREED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; KEY ASIAN HOLDINGS, INC.; KEY AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORIES, INC.; KEY AUTOMOTIVE OF FLORIDA, LLC; KEY CAYMAN GP LLC; KEY INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; KEY SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, INC.; KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS FOREIGN HOLDCO, LLC
Reel/Frame 045933/0563 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded Apr 11, 2018
From: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
Reel/Frame 045927/0330 →
RELEASE OF INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Sep 2, 2014
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.; KSS HOLDINGS, INC.; KSS ACQUISITION COMPANY; BREED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; HAMLIN INCORPORATED; KEY ASIAN HOLDINGS, INC.; KEY AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORIES, INC.; KEY AUTOMOTIVE WEST, INC.; KEY AUTOMOTIVE, LP; KEY CAYMAN GP LLC; KEY ELECTRONICS OF NEVADA, INC.; KEY INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; KEY SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, INC.; KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS FOREIGN HOLDCO, LLC; KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS OF TEXAS, INC.
Reel/Frame 033666/0605 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 2, 2014
From: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 033673/0524 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NATURE OF CONVEYANCE TO RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL AND THE RECEIVING PARTY NAMES PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 031327 FRAME 676. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL. SEE ALSO THE ATTACHED DECLARATION. Recorded Aug 12, 2014
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.; KSS HOLDINGS, INC.; KSS ACQUISITION COMPANY; BREED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; HAMLIN INCORPORATED; KEY ASIAN HOLDINGS, INC.; KEY AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORIES, INC.; KEY AUTOMOTIVE, LP; KEY CAYMAN GP LLC; KEY ELECTRONICS OF NEVADA, INC.; KEY INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; KEY SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, INC.; KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS FOREIGN HOLDCO, LLC; KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS OF TEXAS, INC.
Reel/Frame 033521/0223 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 5, 2013
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 031327/0676 →
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jan 4, 2013
From: CITICORP USA, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 029565/0125 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 16, 2007
From: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC; KSS HOLDINGS, INC; KSS ACQUISITION COMPANY; AEGIS KEY CORP; BREED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, INC; HAMLIN INCORPORATED; KEY ASIAN HOLDINGS, INC; KEY AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORIES, INC; KEY AUTOMOTIVE OF FLORIDA, INC; KEY AUTOMOTIVE WEST, INC; KEY AUTOMOTIVE, LP; KEY CAYMAN GP LLC; KEY ELECTRONICS OF NEVADA, INC; HAMLIN ELECTRONICS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP; KEY INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; KEY SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, INC; KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS FOREIGN HOLDCO, LLC; KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS OF TEXAS, INC
To: CITICORP USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 019297/0249 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2004
From: MENALDO, LORENZO; TESTA, GIUSEPPE; MUSCIO, ALBERTO; SORAGNI, STEFANO
To: KEY SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 015471/0804 →